Universal Worthy
(Samantabhadra) Bodhisattva ( Sanskrit: समन्तभद्र ), once translated as Universal Auspicious Bodhisattva,
transliterated into Chinese as san man
duo ba tuo luo, is one of the four great
Bodhisattvas in Chinese Buddhism. He represents the virtue in principles
and the virtue in conduct, corresponding to Manjushri Bodhisattva’s virtue in wisdom
and virtue of righteousness. They are the right and left assistants of Shakymuni
Buddha in the Saha world. Together, they are referred to as the Three Avatamsaka
Sages. Lunar calendar Feb 21: Birthday of Universal Worthy
Bodhisattva Ten Great VowsIn the Chapter of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva’s Great Conduct and Vows
from the Avatamsaka Sutra, there are detailed explanations of his ten great
vows, and the boundless merit and virtue from reciting, upholding and
practicing the vows. The Universal Worthy Bodhisattva’s Ten Great Vows ultimately
guide one to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, rescue all living beings from the
suffering in the Saha World, and allow them to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s
Western Pure land. Universal Worthy Bodhisattva is a symbol of Mahayana
Buddhism and a role model for walking the Bodhisattva path. Samantabhadra’s
vows together with the wisdom of the Manjushri Bodhisattva combine practice and
principles to complete Mahayana Buddhism. The ten great vows are: First is to worship and respect all
Buddhas;
Second is to make praises to the Thus
Come One;
Third is to extensively practice
profoundly the giving of offerings.
Fourth is to repent and reform all
karmic hindrance;
Fifth to rejoice and follow in
merit and virtue;
Sixth is to request the dharma
wheel be turned;
Seventh request that the Buddha
remains in the world;
Eighth is to follow the Buddha’s
teaching always;
Ninth is to constantly accord with
all living beings;
Tenth to transfer all merit and
virtue universally.
Moreover, these ten great vows are endless. The realms of living beings may
be bounded. The karma of living beings may diminish, and the affliction of living
beings may vanish. Yet, the ten great vows shall never reach an end.

Benefit from Hearing the VowsUniversal Worthy Bodhisattva told Youth Good Wealth, “If there are good
men or good women who take the seven kinds of exquisite jewels that can fill
the incalculable number of worlds as many as the number of the tiniest dust
motes in the ineffably ineffable number of Buddha-lands of the ten directions, take
the supreme peace and happiness of humans and celestials, and offer them all to
every living being in the said worlds. The good men or good women also make offerings
to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the said worlds. They do so without
cessation throughout kalpas as many as the tiniest dust motes in the
Buddhalands. All the merit and virtue they will accumulate from the act cannot
measure up to one hundredth, one thousandth, or even one upanisandth part of
the merit and virtue gained by someone who hears the great vows.”Merit and Virtue
from Reciting and
UpholdingUniversal
Worthy Bodhisattva told Youth Good Wealth, “Furthermore, if there are people with
strong faith recite these great vows and uphold them, or even just write one or four sentences,
they will immediately eradicate their evil karma from the Five Unnatural Acts, all the world’s
diseases of the body or mind, all kinds of afflictions, and even all the evil
karma as numerous as the number of the tiniest dust motes in Buddha-lands. All
the demon army, yakshas, rakshasas, kumbhandas , pisacas, bhutas and various kinds of carnivorous
evil spirits shall stay far from the faith ones or shall aspire to guard the
faithful ones closely and give protection.”

Guide to the
World of Ultimate Bliss Universal
Worthy Bodhisattva told Youth Great Wealth, “Moreover, when the said people are
at the last ksana before their death, all their sensory organs will have deteriorated
and decayed. All their relatives and retinues will have left them. All their
power and influence will have been lost. All their courtiers will have dispersed.
Elephants, horses, carriages, jewels, treasures alike within and outside of
their palaces will no longer be on their sides. Only the great vows will not
desert them, but will always guide them. In one ksana, they will be reborn in
the World of Ultimate Bliss. Upon arrival, they will see Amitabha Buddha, attended
by Manjushri Bodhisattva, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara
Bodhisattva, and Maitreya Bodhisattva, among others. All these Bodhisattvas
have resplendently superb bodies with perfect merit and virtues. The said
people will see themselves born from a lotus flower, and accept Buddha’s prediction
of awakening.”

In the tales and stories, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva has boundless
conducts and vows, teaching living beings according to their conditions. Historical records show that the ancient
Boddhist sage Shide is the transformation body of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva.
One day, Dhyana Master Feng-gan of the Tiantai Mountain Guoqing Monastery travelled
by Chichen, and heard the cry of a child coming from the bush. He went forward
and found a child about ten years old. The master asked for his name. The boy replied,
“I have no home, no surname, and no first name.” Master Feng-gan pitied the
lonely boy and took him back to Guoqing Monastery. The boy was sent to the storage
room as a tea boy. For he was picked up, he was named Shide (picked up).
As Shide was very clever and quick-witted, he was promoted to be the kitchen
manager, and took charge of food offerings and some other tasks. One day, when he saw there was nobody around,
he unexpectedly sat in front of a statue and began to eat. He even called the statue
names: a small fruit, a burned sprout and a bad seed. The storage room manager Master Lingyi saw him,
and scolded him for being disrespectful to the statue. Master Lingyi thought he
was probably mentally sick, revoked him his post and ordered him to wash dishes
in the kitchen. Shide then often put leftover food in a bamboo tube and gave it
to his best friend Hanshan.
One time, the food and fruit of the monastery got pecked by birds, Shide
then beat the statue of the mountain god with a stick, and blamed him for being
undutiful, not being able to protect the temple properly in vain of all the
offerings the god had received. That night, all monks in the temple dreamed of
the mountain god saying, “Shide beat me up, scolded me. Master Lingyi went to examine
the statue, and found indeed there were actually traces from a beating. He then
realized Shide is someone of extraordinary background.
Shide and Hanshan visited each other very often, and many times they taught
people Buddha Dharma, but people not only distrusted them but also cursed or
even beat the two. Hanshan said to Shide, “People sully me, bully me, insult
me, laugh at me, look down upon me, treat
me meanly, detest me and lie to me. What should I do in return?” Shide said: “Endure
them, allow them, avoid them, be patient with them, respect them, and ignore them.
After a few years, take another look at them.”
Later, Shide
got a new position to look after cows. One day, it was the time of the month to
read precepts. A vinaya master was lecturing on the precepts to the monks in
the hall. Shide led the cows to the front of the hall, leaned on the door, clapped his hands and smiled,
“You are all gathering here, having such a good time. How is it?” The vinaya master
was angry at his impoliteness and shouted at him, “What a crazy servant you are, disturbing
my vinaya lecture!” Shide knew he had lost his temper and spoke a verse, “Being
free of anger is to uphold precepts. Having a pure mind is to leave home-life.
My nature is same as yours. All Dharma have no difference.” The vinaya master grew even
angrier seeing Shide’s
smiles. The master came down to beat Shide, ordering him to get the cows out.
Shide replied,
“I am not going to take care of these cows anymore. They were all manager monks in previous lives,
and they all had Dharma names. You don’t believe me? Just wait and see me calling
them by their names. He then turned to the cows: “The previous Vinaturnya
Master Hongjing come forward.” Right away, one white cow mooed and came forward.
He said again, “The previous manager Guangcao come
forward.” Another black cow came forward after his call. Shide called once
more, “The previous monk on duty Jingben, come forward.” One bull came forward.
Finally, Shide pulled along one cow and said, “You did not uphold the precepts
in your previous life. You had the face of a human but a heart of an animal. You
deserve this punishment. Who else can you you blame for? So great is the Buddha’s
strength, yet you did not live up to the Buddha’s grace.”
Since then, the other monks understood that
Shide was no ordinary person. They no longer saw him as a lunatic. Later, Chan Master Feng-gan told Governor Qiu
that Hanshan and Shide were the transformation bodies of Manjushri Bodhisattva
and Universal Worthy Bodhisattva. As their true identity were exposed, they
left Guoqing Temple together, and were never seen again.